U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has temporarily blocked the Justice Department from releasing special counsel Jack Smith’s final report on his two criminal investigations into Donald Trump.
Smith is set to complete and present the report to Attorney General Merrick Garland, summarizing his investigations into Trump’s handling of classified documents after leaving office in 2021 and his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Garland previously indicated plans to release the report in some form. However, Cannon’s ruling, issued in response to a request by two Trump allies who are co-defendants in the classified documents case, prohibits the Justice Department from releasing the report or any portion of it until three days after a federal appeals court makes a decision on the matter. The order restricts Garland, Smith, the Justice Department, and their affiliates from sharing or distributing the report or its drafts outside the DOJ.
Cannon, appointed by Trump, previously dismissed Smith’s prosecution of Trump and the two co-defendants in July, citing what she deemed the improper appointment of Smith by Garland. While the Justice Department appealed, it later dropped the portion of the appeal related to Trump after his election victory in November. The appeal concerning the charges against Trump’s co-defendants remains unresolved, raising questions about Cannon’s jurisdiction in this matter.
